Disney’s Hollywood Studios Update

Disney’s Hollywood Studios continues to be one of Walt Disney World’s more neglected properties. It will be seeing some major changes soon, not in the park, alas, but in how you get to it. Road work is under way that will funnel all guests to the parking lot via the main entrance. Right now a significant portion of guests enter off Buena Vista Drive, which only has two lanes and sometimes back up into the intersection. In the future, that traffic will be redirected around the park to Osceola Parkway where a new off ramp will direct guests to the main entrance. The work they’ve done so far looks pretty nice, but it will be a bit difficult to get used to the change. The Buena Vista Drive route will still be used by busses and as an exit from the park.

One hopes they’ll also take advantage of this to reroute the entry road and allow for a little more expansion on that side of the park. Speaking of expansion, we heard that they’re once again looking at adding a Nemo themed coaster similar to the one in Paris to Pixar Place. Not sure how much weight I put behind that rumor. We do know for sure that DHS will be getting Fastpass Plus. The electrical requirements have been added to a number of attractions, as you can see on the floor to the right of the Tower of Terror entrance here:

There is some work being done on the secondary entrance for American Idol Experience. This could be related to Fast Pass Plus too.

There is no longer an American Idol Experience store.

The sign is gone and it’s now selling mostly hats:

If you do want American Idol Experience themed merchandise, hurry fast. This is the only stuff left in the store.

Not too far from the American Idol Experience audition room is this odd relic of the old Disney MGM-Grand Studios – The WDW Radio Studio. I’ve always thought that Walt Disney World should broadcast its own radio station with music from the parks, but also interviews and updated information as to what’s going on on a particular day. Failing that, they could just open this space to Lou Mongello of the popular WDW Radio podcast.

Inside Star Tours’ Tattoine Traders we see that the rumors of the Droid Factory being closed are true. I hope they’re working to bring this back. I had promised my son a the chance to make his own droid for his Birthday and we’re less than a month away from that. Update: I’m told it is now back

They are selling this nifty Star Wars themed Mickey Mouse Ears Christmas Ornaments. Limited Edition and hand numbered. Might have to add these to our collection.

A visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios isn’t complete without a song or two from Mulch, Sweat & Shears. I always ‘jump’ at the chance.

We ended this night with a special dinner inside the Bamboo room at the Brown Derby. Unfortunately, none of my photos turned out. So you’ll just have to take my word for how cool an experience that was.

Thanks for tuning in. Look for a longer update from the Magic Kingdom coming later this week.

Thanks for the update John! I’d like to see a great new attraction added to this park, not another show. Great Movie Ride and Fantasmic both need a major refurb/overhaul. It would also be nice to see a new, unique to this park, parade. Beauty and Beast stage show should be replaced when New Fantasyland opens at Magic Kingdom and be replaced with the Aladdin show from DCA. Just my two cents…

Read the following snippet online this morning (from a Disneyland-centric blog with close ties to Disney insider info):

“Who is also paying attention to Anaheim’s radical attendance shift are the executives in Orlando. Imagineering, buoyed by the huge success of DCA’s extreme makeover, has put together a proposal to do the same type of massive multi-year makeover for the floundering Disney Hollywood Studios park out in Disney World. It may not get the nearly 1.5 Billion that was spent on DCA from 2007 to 2012 (with Midway Mania, Pixar Play Parade, and World of Color paid for separately and on top of the 1.2 Billion dedicated to the makeover), but Imagineering would love to tear in to DHS and give the muddled theme of that park a fresh start and new look, bolstered with at least one new mega E Ticket and a smattering of smaller rides.”